These papers represent B. W. (Bertram Whittier) Wells's research interests, publications, and honors as well as Wells's personal life and pursuits, his first wife, Edna Metz Wells, his second wife, Maude Barnes Wells, and his household at Rockcliff Farm, a property on the Neuse River in North Carolina that Wells acquired before his retirement in 1954. In writing his biography of Wells, Prof. James R. Troyer amassed the majority of the materials comprising series 1 of these papers. Series 2 is composed of papers left behind by B. W. and Maude Barnes Wells at Rockcliff Farm, now part of the Falls Lake State Recreation Area in Wake Forest, North Carolina. A third series, Additional Artifacts and Books, has been added to the collection since the conclusion of an exhibit on Wells in 2007.
Bertram Whittier Wells is most widely known for his study and preservation of North Carolina's natural environment. Wells headed North Carolina State College's (later North Carolina State University) Botany Department from 1919 to 1949 and remained on the faculty until 1954. One of the first to rightly be called an ecologist, he wrote on many topics: the insect galls of plants, the effects of salt on coastal vegetation, Bald Head Island, and the formation of the Carolina Bays. However, his most extensive work focused on savannah and pocosin vegetation. First published by the University of North Carolina Press in 1932, Wells's popular book, The Natural Gardens of North Carolina, remains in print. Wells also advocated for modern scientific instruction methods, including the teaching of evolution in the 1920s. During Wells's long retirement, he became seriously interested in painting.
During his long and active life, B. W. (Bertram Whittier) Wells (1884-1978) was keenly interested in the study and preservation of North Carolina's unique landscape. He spent time studying the Big Savannah in North Carolina's Pender County, a spot he made famous in his publications on "natural gardens." Wells also, unsuccessfully, worked to save the Big Savannah from development. In 2002, a similar ecological site was dedicated to Wells's memory. Wells's concern for the environment was evidenced in his teaching and work as the head of North Carolina State College's (later North Carolina State University) Botany Department, his writing, and his personal involvement in botanical and environmental associations. James R. Troyer rightly titled his book about Wells Nature's Champion.
Born in 1884, in Troy, Ohio, Wells studied botany at Ohio State University, received his doctorate at the University of Chicago, and taught at a number of universities before he came to North Carolina State College in 1919. Wells headed the Botany Department from 1919 to 1949 and continued teaching until his retirement in 1954. During his thirty-five years at North Carolina State, Wells had a significant impact on scientific study. His research interests included the insect galls of plants, the effects of salt on coastal vegetation, Bald Head Island vegetation, and the possible formation by meteorites of the Carolina Bays, in the eastern part of the state. Wells was also a vocal advocate of the teaching of evolution in the 1920s and helped to prevent the legislature from banning it in the public schools. His botanical interests led him to write a book titled The Natural Gardens of North Carolina. Originally written in 1932 and published with the help of the North Carolina Garden Club, the book is still in print from University of North Carolina Press. It provides an account of North Carolina plant life and has a particularly forward-looking position on ecology, advocating the study of plants in their natural environments.
Wells had a profound love for his retirement property, called Rockcliff Farm, located on a bend in the Neuse River. In the 1970s, the Falls of the Neuse Reservoir submerged much of the property and the famed Ziegle's Rock. The property was subsumed within the Falls Lake State Recreation Area, where, in cooperation with the B. W. Wells Association and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the homestead has been preserved. Initially conceived by the B. W. Wells Association as the Rockcliff Farm Interpretive Area (later called the B. W. Wells Home and Interpretive Area), the site is used to educate the public about B.W. Wells and promote his conservation ethics.
The Rockcliff Farm property, home, and personally constructed art studio provided Wells with an ideal setting in which to cultivate his interest in painting. Although his love for art had been life-long and he had been involved in the McLean Mural controversy during his years at State, Wells began teaching himself to paint in his 70s. Although he never sold any artwork, he frequently gave it to friends, and a number of pieces are on exhibit at the Wells historical site. Wells's second wife Maude Barnes Wells, who died in 2001, shared his love of the property. Wells's first wife, Edna Metz Wells, who died in 1938, was a respected local teacher and was honored with a Wake County, North Carolina, park named in her honor.
Although Wells died in December 1978, his contributions, particularly in North Carolina, have engendered a devoted following for his life and work. In addition to J. R. Troyer's biography of Wells, there remains a B. W. Wells Association to administer the historic site and site of his former property, as well as to pass on his botanical knowledge and environmental interests to new generations.
James R. Troyer gathered much of the material in this collection during his preparation for the book, Nature's Champion: B. W. Wells, Tar Heel Ecologist. Born in Goshen, Indiana, in 1929, Troyer received his B.A. at DePauw University, his M.A. at Ohio State University, and his Ph.D. in Botany at Columbia University, in 1954. After teaching at Yale University until 1957, Troyer began his career at North Carolina State College as an assistant professor of botany. During his 38 years at State, Troyer became a full professor with a focus on plant physiology and the history of botany, particularly in North Carolina. He became Professor Emeritus of Botany in 1995, and he passed away in Chapel Hill on 4 May 2014.
The Bertram Whittier Wells Papers are divided into two series documenting the life of B. W. Wells, a botanist, artist, and faculty member in the Botany Department at North Carolina State College (now North Carolina State University): The first series was compiled largely by Dr. James R. Troyer for his biography of B. W. Wells, and it documents the personal and professional interests of this noted botanist. A small portion of the material in series 1 was directly produced by Wells himself. The second series includes materials found inside B. W. and Maude Barnes Wells's home at Rockcliff Farm by staff members of the Falls Lake State Recreation Area (which now circumscribes all the land near the Neuse River that once belonged to Wells) after both B. W. Wells and Maude Barnes Wells had vacated the property. (Maude Barnes Wells left the house in 1978 after B. W. Wells died; she passed away in 2001.) This series contains personal and professional papers, documents and artifacts from the B. W. Wells Association and the Rockcliff Farm Interpretive Area preservation project (Now the B. W. Wells Home and Interpretive Area), materials from Wells's studio, and an array of photographs and negatives, among other items. A third series, Additional Artifacts and Books, has been added to the collection since the conclusion of an exhibit on Wells in 2007.
This collection is divided into three series: (1) James R. Troyer Biography, (2) Bertram Whittier Wells and Maude Barnes Wells House, and (3) Additional Artifacts and Books.
In series 1, some materials have been divided into two categories: materials produced by Wells himself, and materials produced by James R. Troyer in the course of his research about Wells. However, the dates on the folders can be somewhat misleading. Since much of the material is made up of Troyer's notes and research, the dates emanate from the date when Troyer's research was done, not the dates or events he was investigating. For example, the date 1890 was attributed to a news article, because it was a photocopy of this article, but a transcription or notes taken from this same article would be dated 1970. Wherever possible, the materials are arranged according to subseries and then chronologically.
Series 2 originated from papers found at the Rockcliff Farm house after B. W. and Maude Barnes Wells had vacated the property and had both died. Most of the items were loose in boxes, but some original file names have been maintained where possible and practical. The materials have been divided into subseries including personal (encompassing household papers, personal correspondence, items found in B. W. Wells's studio, and other material of a personal nature), professional (encompassing work and affiliations begun before he retired in 1954 and all publications and notes regarding botany and/or ecology), B. W. Wells Association, Rockcliff Farm Interpretive Area project, and photographs.
Series 3 contains artifacts added to the collection after the conclusion of an exhibit on B. W. Wells displayed in 2007. In 2012 and 2014 additional books and atlases marked as belonging to Wells were added to the collection.
The nature of the NC State University Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NC State University Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.
[Identification of item], Bertram Whittier Wells Papers, MC 00073, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
Initial deposit of Wells materials made by B. W. Wells in 1973. Addition made in 1981 by C. B. King. Significant addition by J. R. Troyer in 2003. Addition from Falls Lake State Recreation Area accessioned in 2006.
Gift of B. W. Wells, C. B. King, and J. R. Troyer, 1973-2003. Transfer from Falls Lake State Recreation Area, November 7, 2006. Transfer from the NC State University Dept. of Plant and Microbial Biology in July 2014.
Processed by: Jaime L. Margalotti and Kelly Clark; machine-readable finding aid created by: Jaime L. Margalotti, 2003 and Kelly Clark, 2009; updated by: Kelly Clark Policelli, 2009 April; updated by: Todd Kosmerick, 2012 February, 2014 July
The collection is organized into three principal series:
The James R. Troyer Biography series is primarily composed of materials Troyer compiled in working on his biography of B. W. Wells, titled Nature's Champion: B. W. Wells, Tar Heel Ecologist. These papers include some authored by B. W. Wells and others, including notes, by James R. Troyer, all regarding B. W. Wells's personal and professional pursuits.
3 archival boxes, 1 flat photograph box
The papers in series 2 were found and preserved by staff members at the Falls Lake State Recreation Area of the North Carolina Department of Parks and Recreation after B. W. Wells and Maude Barnes Wells had both vacated the Rockcliff Farm property.(Maude Barnes Wells left the house in 1978 after B. W. Wells died; she passed away in 2001.) They include correspondence, publications, clippings, notes, drawings, photographs, and other items related to B. W. Wells, his personal and professional pursuits, and his family, especially his second wife, Maude Barnes Wells.
Included in the papers found at the Rockcliff Farm house are records from the B.W. Wells Association, a group that works to educate the public about B.W. Wells and promote his conservation ethics. The association assists the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation, the Falls Lake State Recreation Area, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to preserve, restore, and interpret Rockcliff Farm, the site of Wells's retirement after 1954. Also included are early plans and notes for the Rockcliff Farm Interpretive Area (now called the B. W. Wells Home and Interpretive Area) at Falls Lake State Recreation Area.
7 archival boxes, 2 flat photograph boxes, 1 negatives box, 1 large flat box
Contained in this series are artifacts added to the collection after the conclusion of the B. W. Wells exhibit that was displayed in NC State University's D. H. Hill Library in 2007. The artifact materials may have originated with the Falls Lake State Recreation Area. In 2012 and 2014 additional books and atlases marked as belonging to Wells were added to the collection.
Inscribed "B. W. Wells, Dec. 11, 1933."
This collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access to digital files may require additional advanced notice.
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[Identification of item], Bertram Whittier Wells Papers, MC 00073, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
The nature of the NC State University Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NC State University Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.